


An Undesirable Society

by mandykaysfic



Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-17 09:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1382236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandykaysfic/pseuds/mandykaysfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One person's utopia may be another's dystopia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Undesirable Society

Thekla carefully blotted the ink and folded the letter to her beloved half-brother. Wolfram would curse the family of her Cousin Marie for the dogs they were, even if she could not. Even after several weeks she failed to understand how Cousin Kurt came to send his daughters to this place. Nobody was properly presented in order to further the acquaintance, and what was worse, she was forced to consort with the daughters of shopkeepers and bank cashiers. Even the staff failed to understand it was an insult for her to associate with those not of the Junker class.

She, the only daughter of Graf von Stift, should not be expected to suffer the deprivation and oppression such as she was experiencing here at the Chalet School. She was positive her father had not realised the conditions in which she was expected to live. In turn she blamed her governess, weak-minded creature that she was, for marrying unexpectedly; her mother, for fearing the things Wolfram shared with her about Young Germany; her father, for not thoroughly checking out the antecedents of the staff and pupils of the school so enthusiastically recommended by Frau von Heiling; and even the Crown Princess of Belsornia, whose attendance at this accursed place was in part responsible for her parents' decision to send her here. If it had to be school, then why not a Prussian school? This one followed too many English institutions.

“Pah!” Thekla gave into her mood of what she considered righteous indignation and spat as she would at the beggars at home. Further grievances were a simple matter to catalogue. Early rising, the simple foods, the ugly uniforms, the tedious lessons in three languages, the expectation that one would join the Girl Guides, the lack of appreciation and admiration applied to herself. It was this last that rankled most, were she prepared to admit it. It was painful to acknowledge her position in the school was basically that of a non-entity. Her opinions were not heeded nor her company sought by those of the highest standing, in contrast to her Cousin Marie. Marie was _hochgeborene_ – well born – as _hochgeborene_ as Thekla and more so than many of the girls here. Thekla would never understand how Marie could make friends with those so far below her social standing. 

Deprived of all things she considered necessary for her happiness, Thekla vowed to find some way to make her prison easier to bear. First, she would need some cohorts. For now, the most senior of the girls were too much under the Head Girl's influence. The younger girls would be easier to influence, and there were enough of them with acceptable social status for her to work with. If she must remain here at the Chalet School, which was most certainly not the utopia Joey Bettany believed everyone should find it, then things would have to change, and Thekla von Stift had no doubt she would be able to accomplish this.

END


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